m o r r i s *
I love baseball, I do.
But, do you know what I hate?
Playing baseball on the school's team with Walker Michaels.
Walker and I have never got along--EVER. I think we've literally just been dubbed as 'enemies' at this point. We've been in school together since Kindergarten-- I literally cannot get rid of him.
"Yo, Morris!" Someone yells my name. I turn around. It's Isaac, one of my best friends.
"What's up?" I say.
"Apparently Walker got himself locked in a classroom," Isaac laughs. And normally, I would've laughed too, but I actually feel a little bit of worry. I hurry to fake laugh.
"That's dumb of him," I say now feeling distracted. "I've gotta go though, I'll see you at practice later?"
"Six o'clock, right?" Isaac asks.
I nod and as soon as he walks away, I start searching the hallway, knowing that no one will have let him out-- all of his friends have gone home for the day.
I find a classroom door that's shut, the lights are off, and there's a cover over the door.
It would be this classroom-- it locks from the outside for detentions and stuff but I have a key--don't ask why-- I had to let someone out of detention for a teacher one day and I just never gave it back to her after. I stick the key in the lock and turn it.
The door opens and I see Walker sitting on a desk in the back, looking down.
I close the door behind me and walk towards him.
He hears my footsteps and looks up as I approach him.
"You okay?" I ask him.
"Why do you care?" he snaps.
I shrug. "I don't really know,"
He's holding his wrist. I kneel down in front of him and look into his face.
"You didn't--?" I ask him, hoping that the answer is no.
"I-I draw on my wrist sometimes," he says softly.
"C-can I see?" I ask him. Something in me has changed these past few weeks with Walker. I've been finding more and more excuses to talk to him, I've actually been able to stand him and we've been sorta getting along during school and practices.
He looks at me. "Why do you care about me all of a sudden?" He asks me.
"I-I don't know," I stammer as I look into his face.
I don't know what I was about to do, really, but I hear footsteps coming down the hall and we both jump--ruining the moment.
"Hey, Walker? Who let you out of the closet?" Riley calls as he walks onto the field. A bunch of the team starts laughing. I start thinking-- do they do this because I don't like him, or because he's just not that popular?
"It wasn't a closet," Walker snaps. "It was a classroom,"
"Ooh, someone's mad," Isaac jeers.
"Leave him alone," I snap. I don't realize that I've said it until the words are out of my mouth. Everyone looks at me in surprise. I look around but before anyone else can say anything, Coach comes onto the field.
"Hey," Walker says after practice. We're the only two still here. "Thanks for standing up for me earlier,"
I nod. "Yeah, no problem," I mutter.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
He flinches.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--" I begin.
"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" He interrupts, asking me the question again.
"I-I don't know," I say softly. Without realizing it, I've been moving progressively toward him.
I want to touch him, to feel his touch on me, feel his lips on mine.
I want to kiss him, but I don't want to scare him away.
"You've never been this close to me before," he says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"Is that a bad thing?" I ask him as his back hits a wall.
"I-I don't guess so,"
I smile softly and bring his face to meet mine in a soft kiss. His body tenses but he puts a hand on my waist; I move both of my hands to cup his face and pull away slowly, looking at him.
"I-" I start, but he pushes me aside and runs into the darkness.
I lean against the building, touching my lips where his lips were just touching mine.
✗
The next day at school, Walker avoids me at pretty much ALL costs. I want to corner him so I can talk to him, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it.
We have practice again tonight, so maybe then...?
